Maintaining a clean cold plunge is essential for both your health and the effectiveness of your cold therapy. In addition, it will prolong the lifespan of your cold plunge tub.
This guide will teach you how to keep a cold plunge clean. You'll discover the key cleaning routines, filtration recommendations, and chemical balance essentials to ensure a safe and invigorating cold plunge experience!
Key Takeaways
- Routine cleaning and filtration maintenance are crucial for a healthful cold plunge environment. It's generally recommended to change the water every 2-4 weeks. Coldture filters allow you to use the same water for up to 45 days!
- You can guarantee water purity by choosing a high-quality filter that keeps the water free of impurities. Use non-chlorine-based sanitizers to disinfect the tub. Maintaining proper water chemistry, including pH and alkalinity levels, are crucial in keeping your ice bath clean.
- Deep cleaning practices, regular maintenance schedules, and using a protective cover contribute to a pristine cold plunge experience. Don't forget to follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
The Fundamentals of Cold Plunge Cleanliness
Clean ice bath water plays an essential role in ensuring that you're enjoying your cold water therapy to the fullest and are not at risk of getting any diseases! Cleaning your cold plunge tub regularly helps remove debris and dirt and prevents mold and bacteria buildup.
It's not enough to just clean your cold plunge every 2-4 weeks. It's essential to implement various practices every time you take an ice bath. Keep reading to learn more!
Initial Preparation for Cleanliness
Hygiene practices play a pivotal role in maintaining water quality. Showering before using the ice bath tub prevents dirt, sweat, and body oils buildup. It also reduces contamination and the load on the filtration system. Pay attention to your hands - since they are home to many bacteria, ensure to wash them thoroughly, especially the nails.
If your cold plunge tub is outside, you can wear shoes until you reach it. You can also use the Coldture absorbent mat to guarantee you're not getting any debris into the water. Jump from your shoes right on the mat, and then take the chilling plunge!
Routine Surface Skimming
To keep your ice bath clean, you should use a pool skimmer to remove any:
- hair
- insects
- leaves
- other debris
Regular skimming also prevents debris from clogging filters. This makes long-term maintenance easier and extends the lifespan of the tub's filtration system.
The frequency of surface skimming depends on whether your tub is indoors or outdoors. In addition, to maintain a crystal-clear water in the autumn or when it's windy will be more difficult, so you'll probably have to use the pool skimmer more often.
Using a Cold Plunge Tub Cover
A cover for your cold plunge is like a shield! It protects the tub from external contaminants. Using a cover when the tub is not in use has several benefits:
- A cold plunge tub cover significantly reduces debris and contaminants.
- A cold plunge tub cover saves time and money on cleaning and maintenance.
- A cold plunge tub cover helps maintain the water temperature, especially during the summer.
If you're looking for a cold plunge tub with a cover, consider Coldture products! Besides the fact that they come with a cover, Coldture tubs are extremely easy to use and maintain. In addition, we also sell cleaning solutions suitable for the materials used for our tubs. This way, you won't have to scan the internet anymore and guess whether a particular product will damage your tub or not!
Water Purity and Filtration Strategies
An efficient filtration system is essential for achieving crystal-clear cold plunge water! Here's what an advanced cold plunge filter can achieve:
- It can remove debris and contaminants.
- It can help you reduce the changing water frequency.
- It can prevent clogs and damage.
If you choose the Coldture Premium 20-micron filters, you'll equip your cold plunge tub with a highly advanced filtration system! Our filters can capture particles down to 20 microns in size! In addition, they have antiseptic properties. The Premium 20-micron filters are also easy to install and maintain, so you won't have to worry about cleaning them too often. Since our filters are designed to withstand various temperatures and pressures, they will last much longer than standard filters.
Regular Filter Maintenance
Maintaining the filter you've chosen is equally important. We recommend following the manufacturer's guidelines when it comes to filters. Nonetheless, here are some general filter maintenance tips:
- Rinse the filter weekly to remove accumulated debris.
- Deeply clean the filter monthly to restore filtration efficiency.
- Adhere to a regular maintenance schedule to ensure the longevity of the filtration system.
- Replace the filter as per the manufacturer's advice.
Now, besides filtration, let’s understand the art and science of maintaining the chemical balance in your cold plunge.
Mastering the Art of Chemical Balance
Just like a balanced diet is vital for our health, maintaining water chemistry, including pH and alkalinity levels, is crucial for a clean and healthy cold plunge. Furthermore, proper chemical balance can prevent damage to the interior of the tub.
You should check water pH levels at least once a week to ensure they remain between 7.2 and 7.8. This is the recommended range for a cold plunge pool. But why is pH so significant? Let’s see.
The Role of pH in Water Clarity
First, what are pH levels and why are they important in this discussion? pH levels are used to determine how acidic water is. The human body also has a pH level, which is crucial in many physiological processes. That's why specialists recommend drinking water or using particular skin products with pH levels within a certain range. Otherwise, these product can irritate our skin and cause other adverse reactions. As such, since our pH levels are 7.34-7.45, the cold plunge water pH levels are best within the 7.2-7.8 range.
Another reason why pH levels are so important is that bacteria thrive within a particular pH range. Since most bacteria grow in pH levels of 7.0, maintaining your ice bath water within the range mentioned above will keep it clean and prevent bacteria buildup.
So, we’ve determined the role of pH, but what about alkalinity?
The Importance of Alkalinity and Calcium Hardness
Since pH determines how alkaline water is, people often mistake pH for alkalinity, using these terms interchangeably. However, alkalinity actually refers to the concentration of alkaline substances in the water. Alkalinity levels help keep pH levels within the correct range. The ideal alkalinity levels in the cold plunge water are between 80 and 120 ppm.
Calcium hardness levels are equally important. They should be between 180 and 220 ppm. If these levels are too low, the water will be soft. This can lead to corrosion on calcium-bearing surfaces. If the levels are too high, this can lead to scaly buildup.
Sanitization Without the Harshness
Using non-chlorine-based sanitizers can maintain water clarity and prevent skin irritation. For instance, hydrogen peroxide is an effective natural disinfectant for cold plunge tubs. It inhibits bacterial growth through oxidation.
You can also use natural disinfectants like Epsom salt and vinegar. They can help keep ice bath water clean without causing subsequent skin irritation. However, make sure to check with the manufacturer if these products can damage your tub.
In addition, water and baking soda can also help you keep the ice bath clean. This solution can effectively remove stains and grime from ice bath tubs.
On the other hand, some tubs can take chlorine solutions just fine as they are made from durable materials. As long as you rinse them thoroughly before refilling them with water, there's no risk of irritation.
If you have a Coldture plunge tub, you can purchase our cleaning kit, which includes:
- chlorine, which controls bacteria and algae growth
- an oxidizer, which destroys contaminants
- alkalinity plus solution, which helps control pH and alkalinity levels
- testing strips
UV and Ozone Sterilizers
You can also install a UV or an ozone sterilizer. Here's why they are excellent water filters:
- UV sterilizers expose the water to ultraviolet light. This damages bacteria and virus DNA, and, therefore, they won't be able to thrive in your cold plunge water anymore!
- Ozone sterilizers inject ozone gas into your ice bath water, neutralizing pathogens and even reducing odors.
As such, using either a UV or an ozone sterilizer can significantly reduce how frequently you change the cold plunge water. Nonetheless, you should consider that ozone sterilizers are slightly more expensive and may not be best for tubs that are used indoors. On the other hand, UV sterilizers require a GFCI receptacle.
Deep Cleaning Rituals for Pristine Plunges
A general rule of thumb would be to replace the cold plunge water and, therefore, deep clean the tub every 2-4 weeks. If you notice that the walls of your tub become slimy, there's an unpleasant odor, or the water isn't crystal-clear anymore, it's probably time to clean your tub.
The deep cleaning frequency also depends on how often you use the tub, how many people use it, how often you use a pool skimmer to remove debris, and whether you use filters or other sanitizing products.
If you're using Coldture filters, you can rest assured that your cold plunge water will stay clean for up to 45 days!
Here's how to clean your cold plunge tub:
- Disconnect all power sources.
- Remove and clean the filter.
- Drain the tub using a sump pump.
- Scrub the tub with a mild cleaning solution to remove surface dirt. Use a non-abrasive sponge.
- Rinse the tub with warm water.
- Use a sanitizer to disinfect the tub. If you don't know which one is safe, you can use the Coldture sanitizer or contact us for more details.
- Rinse the tub again with warm water - more thoroughly this time since you've used a harsher solution that can cause skin irritation if not completely removed.
- Clean any other cold plunge equipment, such as a water chiller, according to the manufacturer's instructions.
- Refill the tub with clean water.
All done - your ice bath maintenance routine is finished! Enjoy your plunge!
Maintaining Your Cold Plunge Water Cool
Another important thing to consider when establishing a cleaning routine for your cold plunge tub is learning how to keep the water cool. During the summer, the water warms up quickly if you don't have the necessary equipment to keep it cool. As such, you'll have to replace the water in your ice bath regularly and clean the tub before refilling it. This can be quite time-consuming.
Therefore, we recommend buying a high-quality cold plunge tub with well-insulated walls. Coldture products, for example, have a 3-inch rock-hard insulated wall that maintains the desired cold temperature for hours. If you also use the cover, the duration extends.
However, this won't be of much help during the summer, especially if you keep your tub outside. In this case, you can use a water chiller. The Coldture Cold Plunge/Ice Bath Water Chiller is extremely easy to use - just a few minutes, and everything is set up! It is built with industrial-grade components, so it's highly durable and can withstand various conditions. Our water chiller features a self-priming circulation pump, a safety shutoff, and a Wi-Fi-enabled temperature control system.
In short, our water chiller ensures you can take ice baths whenever you want!
Looking for a Self-Cleaning Tub? Contact Coldture!
What if we told you that you can get a cold plunge tub that cleans itself?! If you have a busy schedule and don't have time to deep clean your tub, hurry to get Coldture's Cold Therapy Pro Plunge!
This product features our advanced brand-new CleanTec technology. This means your plunge will go through a 3-step cleaning cycle - all by itself! This technology filters and sanitizes the tub.
In other words, our Pro Plunge Tub comes with:
- a powerful water chiller
- advanced ozone sanitation
- automatic chlorine feeder
- skimmer filtration system, which removes debris and oils
- insulating cover
Furthermore, it has an elegant design that can suit any indoor and outdoor setting! And that's not all - the tub comes with an advanced color control display and Wi-Fi remote operation!
Summary
All in all, keeping a cold plunge clean isn't too complicated. It's more about consistency - making sure you're taking a shower before entering the tub, skimming the surface regularly, and using a tub cover.
If you want to replace your water less frequently, you can always use a UV or ozone sterilizer to prevent fungal and algae growth and kill any bacteria.
Before you choose a cleaning solution or sterilizer, we recommend checking with the manufacturer if it suitable for your cold plunge tub. Don't forget that proper maintenance can significantly extend your tub's lifespan!
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I clean my cold plunge?
You should clean your cold plunge every 2-4 weeks, but the frequency may vary based on how often you use it. Regular maintenance is important to ensure cleanliness and hygiene. Coldture filters keep the water clean for up to 45 days.
What is the ideal temperature for a cold plunge?
The ideal temperature for a cold plunge is between 50-59°F (10-15°C). This temperature range is considered optimal for reaping the benefits of cold immersion.
What are some natural disinfectants I can use for my cold plunge?
You can use Epsom salt, vinegar, and baking soda as natural disinfectants for your cold plunge tub to maintain cleanliness and avoid irritation.
Why is it important to cover my cold plunge?
It's important to cover your cold plunge to prevent debris and contaminants from entering the water and to maintain water quality for a longer period.
Why is maintaining the right pH and alkalinity levels important?
Maintaining the right pH and alkalinity levels is important because it can help keep the water clean and free from bacteria. Correct pH levels also eliminate the risk of skin and eye irritation.
